Aleksej Pokuševski Waived by Thunder; Was 2020 1st-Round NBA Draft Pick

Four years removed from being a first-round draft pick, Aleksej Pokuševski's tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder has come to an end.

The Thunder announced on Friday they have waived the 22-year-old forward.

Pokuševski was originally selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who traded his rights to Oklahoma City in a three-team deal that also involved the New York Knicks. He was the youngest player in that draft class

The trade has turned out to be very notable for all three teams involved. Minnesota acquired the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels, while the Knicks got the rights to Immanuel Quickley.

Even though Pokuševski had the least impact on his team from that group, he did have some nice singular moments.

Pokuševski recorded a triple-double on April 3, 2022, when Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault had him playing point guard because they were without multiple players at the position due to injuries. He finished with 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 117-96 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Oklahoma City's depth has made it difficult for Daigneault to find minutes for Pokuševski this season. He appeared in a total of 10 games, with only three appearances in garbage time since Dec. 14.

Pokuševski's age should make him an attractive option for teams that need someone who is capable of scoring off the bench. He shot 36.5 percent from three-point range on 3.1 attempts in 34 games during the 2022-23 season.

If a team can offer Pokuševski consistent minutes, there's enough upside to think he could become at least a regular contributor in the NBA going forward.